from: http://www.aci.net/kalliste/ Click Here: <A HREF="http://www.aci.net/kalliste/">The Home Page of J. Orlin Grabbe</A> ----- Digital Society Web Site Bans Woman with Unacceptable Name Charlotte Pussywillow is having problems also. (August 18, 2000) In a new twist on Internet censorship, Los Angeles attorney Sherril Babcock was blocked from joining the BlackPlanet.com online service — at least until she changes her name. When Babcock registered for access to BlackPlanet.com, a Web site dealing with African-American topics, she was told that her last name was "unacceptable," presumably because it contained the word "cock," and she was not permitted to register. Suspecting the matter to be a simple matter of the site's overly ambitious censorware, she contacted BlackPlanet.com hoping to clear up the problem. She explained that "Babcock was my father's name as well, and I am very fond of him." Crystal Martin, BlackPlanet.com's Moderator for Member Services, responded. She apologized twice for the inconvenience, but said "unfortunately, the letters that form the word 'Cock' is [sic] unacceptable and will not be recognized by our system." Omar Wasow, BlackPlanet.com's executive director, intends to continue using the censorware. Though he described himself as a strong supporter of free speech, he defended his use of censorware as an attempt to not offend his site's membership, even though there would be casualties like Sherril Babcock. When asked if he would register Babcock manually, thereby bypassing the censorware, Wasow explained that if the censorware made bad decisions even only one percent of the time, it would have meant over 8,000 manual entries given the current population of his online community. Babcock would just have to change her registration name to please the censorware. End of matter. Babcock is still not a member, and cyber-rights groups are having a good laugh over this latest episode of censorware's shortcomings. "Censorware is a non-solution for a non-problem. It doesn't block what it intends to, most of which doesn't hurt anyone, and it blocks far too much of what it shouldn't. It's a failure and it's scary that some want public libraries to adopt this junk," said Alan Brown, Internet development director for the Digital Freedom Network. The episode reminded Babcock of America Online's ban of the word "breast" in its chat rooms. The ban was only overturned when members of a breast cancer survivor's group complained that the ban left them with very little to talk about. According to the cyber-rights organization Peacefire, Internet censorware is so flawed that various versions have blocked Web sites including Time magazine, the National Organization for Women, the Vatican, the Heritage Foundation, and even sites about dogs. "Would St. Francis of Assisi or Emily Dickinson also have been banned from BlackPlanet.com?", asked Bobson Wong, executive director of the Digital Freedom Network. http://www.dfn.org/Voices/Americas/usa/blackplanet.htm, August 18, 2000 ----- Aloha, He'Ping, Om, Shalom, Salaam. Em Hotep, Peace Be, All My Relations. Omnia Bona Bonis, Adieu, Adios, Aloha. Amen. Roads End <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
